First, he helped defeat the 8 Washington luxury condo development. Then, he and his allies got Prop. B on the June ballot to give voters their say on waterfront projects exceeding zoned height limits. That helped scuttle the Golden State Warriors' plans for a basketball arena at Piers 30-32 and encouraged the Giants to vow to remake their development plans for the parking lot near AT&T Park.

Agnos, a longtime practical joker, isn't one to keep his crowing to himself. He remembered that after voters killed 8 Washington in November, Warriors spokesman Nathan Ballarddisputed Agnos' prediction that the vote would spell doom for the Warriors' waterfront plans.

Ballard earned City Insider's Quote of the Week for saying, "Art Agnos just won a game of Ping-Pong, and now he thinks he's a Wimbledon champion."

Ballard got a surprise delivery the other day at his Mill Valley home: towels from Wimbledon monogrammed with Agnos' initials. Agnos got his own return delivery at his Potrero Hill home: a nice bottle of wine with the note, "Well played, Mr. Mayor."

At least in today's heated waterfront wars, people are so far retaining their sense of humor.

Lee worked from home and canceled his public appearances Monday because of the ankle. On Tuesday, he looked uncomfortable and moved slowly at a press conference at San Francisco General Hospital about the city pursuing Laura's Law for some mentally ill residents.

Lee's spokeswoman, Christine Falvey, said the mayor had a swollen ankle that was "joint related" and not caused by a fall or other type of trauma. Lee, 62, joked that he was just getting old.